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Laundry???
Never thought I would say this, but my husband won't stop doing the laundry! One towel or thirty, after he changes ALL the settings (!!!!) he's turning on that machine, so help me! lol
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Vent
DH can make a sandwich, he can dress himself, albeit, inside out and backwards. I cook him breakfast and dinner every day. When I go to the store, he comes along. When I clean the bathroom, he’s by my side. When I take a nap, he takes one with me. Looking at his dinner plate last night, I had to tell him what was what…
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In Florida the Rich are ENTITLED to vaccine
The call, she said, had come from Keith Myers, chief executive of MorseLife Health System, a high-end nursing home and assisted-living facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., to members of the board and major donors. MorseLife has made difficult-to-get coronavirus vaccines — provided through a federal program intended for…
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Refusing Meds
My DH is currently refusing to take any of his meds. He is delusional and paranoid right now, and believes either the meds are poison or "they" won't let him take the pills. Any advice on how to get him to take his meds? He's on Memantine 10mg twice a day and 25 mg Seroquel at bedtime. Oh, he also won't eat or drink for…
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Finger foods, feed him, or both?
DH has been in MC for 4 months now. While still at home just before he went there, he was eating mostly finger foods. He could sometimes use a spoon and I would sometimes feed him the last bit in the bowl as he couldn't do it himself. Or I'd scoop the food up and hand him the spoon. He has always loved food and never had a…
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Just for fun - weirdest thing they have eaten
I came home from the store to discover my husband had a half bottle of calcium chews for lunch. What has your LO eaten?
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hospitalizations for Covid
My 50 year old nephew died last week in Texas (not covid related) and my 75 year oold brother was hospitalized for a non Covid infection in Bethesda. In both cases getting a bed much less an ICU unit took a full court press by the family. Covid patients are simply swamping the hospitals. About 18% of all general hospital…
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A terrible way to end this long journey
My Dear Wife has ended her long hard fight with this terrible disease at 61 years old. I had to put her in a nursing home back in late August ended up in hospital with pneumonia never showing any signs upon her going to rehab she just got weaker so I had to place her long term. The nursing home that I placed her at was one…
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Parkinsonism approved as agent orange symptom
For Lewy Body spouses and others, therecent defense bill has approved Parkinsonism (as opposed to previously approved Parkinson's Disease), Hypothyroidism and Bladder Cancer related to agent orange exposure.…
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Paranoid Spouse
My husband is acting irrationally and is paranoid. He freaks out if I try to take the dogs out or go outside for work. This is going on 3 days now. Our adult daughter came over to cut his hair and he told her he didn't want his haircut, but wouldn't let her leave. I know in his heart of heart he feels like he is protecting…
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I’m impressed with the culture
New Year’s Day DH had chest pains so I called 911 and they took him to emergency at UCONN HEALTH. I was able to check on him online using his patient account because with COVID I wasn’t allowed to be with him.He has pneumonia and a UTI (first ever). He came home the same day. Today the emergency department called to…
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Excessive sleeping
My husband had a ruptured cerebral aneurysm six years ago. He fought back from being on a feeding tube to taking care of himself. He never worked again as his memory and initiation were gone, but his intellect intact. Things slowly changed and we received a diagnosis of mixed dementia this summer. We are in a place he…
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A plea
To the family of my husband’s memory care “wife”, When you left your mom at memory care’s door, you left your mom. I did the same with my husband. Our vulnerable, brain compromised, loved ones were removed from their prior lives and homes and somehow found solace in each other’s company, believing the other is their…
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A new low...
I had to do something today that I wasn't quite prepared to make in this journey. DH refused to take his meds. Ordinarily I can pursuade him but today his behavior was aggitated and combative there was no way to reasonably change his mind. I had to take his phone and offer it as a reward if he would take his medication. If…
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Help with Prescription cost?
I have been having problems keeping my glucose high enough to prevent symptoms. My doctor ran blood tests, and he is pretty sure I have a tumor(s) in my pancreas, or possibly in another location. An MRI is on schedule for Feb. 4 to see if they can find any. Tumors like this are not usually malignant, and he does not want…
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Eating(2)
My DH is a lung cancer survivor and now suffering dementia perhaps exacerbated by the chemo and radiation. He is being tested for ftd or VD. They have ruled out Alzheimer’s. So much to learn. This is so much harder than the cancer. One area of concern causing irritation between us is getting him to eat. I give him protein…
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Does Medicare pay for family members to be a caregiver?
You can Become a Paid Caregiver for a family member at home in Georgia! A new Medicaid service, Structured Family Caregiving (SFC), offers financial support services to Georgia families that deliver care at home for a senior or disabled person. To learn more go : https://www.homenurse.net/structured-family-caregiving/
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Why did Alzheimers patients die?
A covid 19 study seroprevalence study just published estimates 304915 covid deaths through November 5 That is about a a 25 % increase over the 240,000 deaths officially reported. This is very important in our community since surges of Alzheimer’s patient attributed to other causes (loneliness etc.) may simply have been…
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cost to get medicaid planning from Elder Care lawyer
We have worked with him before for our wills, poa's etc. now I am looking down the road in case DH needs a nursing home. I was quoted 15,000$ for as long as needed with no other costs down the road regardless of time frame. this sounds like a lot but considering a year in MC it might not be unreasonable. any thoughts for…
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Wants to go home(1)
Tips, advice, affirmations deeply needed.. My husband has Lewy Body Dementia. He is mid-stage. It's only been the two of us, and I had to come to the very difficult decision to place him in memory care. Breaking my heart is under-stated. He wants to come home, he wants his license, credit cards, (probably to plan an…
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New here and need help
I'm Don and the sole caregiver to my DW. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's just over two years ago although looking back it started awhile before that with using the wrong word and getting confused while driving. Presently she can't put together words to communicate and talks in gibberish and numbers. When she tries to…
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Can/How to Continue Working Outside the Home
Prior to being laid off due to COVID I had a profession I enjoyed for 30+ years. I am in early 60's and never thought actively about retirement. Just got a call for a job interview. Problem is husband has Parkinson's, psychiatrist & neurologist suspect ALZ and have requested another neuropsyc scheduled for early Feb. since…
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Suggestions/help with getting my DH to sleep longer at night.
My DH was diagnosed 4 years ago with FTD. In addition to Aricept and Donepezil , he now takes Alprazolam 0.5 mg. (Xanax) nightly for sleep and/or agitation. He falls immediately to sleep,but 2-3 hours later awakens and begins pacing, searching for objects, inquiring about people in the house (there are only the two of us),…
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Caregiver cancer
My husband died at 73in September 2020, stage 7, after two weeks in a Hospice facility. I was saddened by his death, but also relieved because keeping him at home until those last two weeks had been a 24/7 ordeal, feasible only with the support of my son and his fiancee who had moved back in to help. We couldn't have a…
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Upcoming PBS Show--- Dementia Murder Mystery
Just saw that there is a new movie scheduled for PBS on Sunday, 1/3 at 9 pm (at least in our area.) It's titled "Elizabeth is Missing," about a woman with dementia who is convinced that her best friend has disappeared. Glenda Jackson is the star, and our Boston Globe gave it an excellent review. Apparently it's a murder…
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Another one of my Podcast.
This was tapped over 6 months ago but just came out today. I even for got about it. https://www.spreaker.com/user/8098964/episode-7-michael-ellenbogen
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Bringing in Help for the First Time
We are bringing in a night aide to help with the care of my father so that my mother can get some sleep at night. She's worried about how to explain the situation to my dad as he obviously does not adjust to change well. Does anyone have any advise on how to communicate the change to him?
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What Difference Does It Make
My 74 yo husband has been diagnosed with MCI. They are now in the process of trying to define the type of dementia. They also found stenosis of the vertebral artery. I guess my question is what difference will it make to put a label on the type of dementia? Isn't the end result the same? I was angry that 2020 put a hold on…
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Vaccine distribution
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/covid-vaccine-states-distribution-doses/ (sorry, Joe...still can't make it blue)
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Taken for granted
Recently one of my girl friends has been frustrated by her significant other. He’s not helping with the housework. He is not picking up after himself. He’s leaving clothes in the dryer and holding up the laundry ritual. Basically, he is not behaving the way she wants him to. I am sympathetic. Its easy to fault a…